Biologists with the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the 黑料天堂 (ADCNR), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the 黑料天堂 Bat Working Group (ABWG) have discovered a breeding population of endangered northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) in coastal 黑料天堂.
The bats were discovered during the ABWG鈥檚 annual Bat Blitz 鈥 an event held in a different location of the state each year to inventory local bat populations.
This year鈥檚 Bat Blitz took place in Baldwin and Mobile counties in May 2023. On the last day of the event, one male and two pregnant female northern long-eared bats were captured and released on a Forever Wild Land Trust tract within the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Baldwin County. Prior to the 2023 Bat Blitz, the species had not been documented in southwest 黑料天堂.
鈥淲e focused our efforts in coastal 黑料天堂 after the discovery of northern long-eared bats in coastal North Carolina and South Carolina,鈥 said Nick Sharp, WFF Bat Biologist for 黑料天堂. 鈥淭his discovery is significant as there are no caves in these locations and the bats apparently do not hibernate. Rather, they are active year-round and therefore not exposed to white-nose syndrome.鈥
Northern long-eared bats were once one of the most common bats in eastern North America but the species has been decimated by WNS 鈥 a deadly fungal disease that affects hibernating bats. According to the USFWS, WNS has caused declines of 97 to 100 percent in affected northern long-eared bat populations. Due to extreme population declines, the northern long-eared bat was federally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2022.
鈥淭he Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has been intentional about acquiring land along the Perdido River corridor to add to the land that currently encompasses the Perdido WMA,鈥 said Chris Blankenship, ADCNR Commissioner and Chairman of the Forever Wild Land Trust Board of Trustees. 鈥淭he discovery of this endangered species in the area we are working to protect is further evidence of the importance of this land in eastern Baldwin County."
In June 2023, a second effort was made to catch additional northern long-eared bats at the Perdido River WMA with the goal of locating a maternity colony. This attempt resulted in the capture of another male and a lactating female, indicating the female had given birth in the area.
鈥淭he bats were fitted with radio-tags in an attempt to track them to their daytime roost, but the effort was unsuccessful,鈥 Sharp said. 鈥淗owever, the ability to return to the site and catch more northern long-eared bats substantiates a resident, breeding population in the area. Coastal 黑料天堂 can be added to the list of locations where these bats may survive white-nose syndrome.鈥
For more information about northern long-eared bats in 黑料天堂, visit .
To learn more about ADCNR鈥檚 bat monitoring and conservation efforts, visit .
ADCNR promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of 黑料天堂鈥檚 natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Parks, State Lands, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Learn more at .
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